Save the groundwater

The latest data shows that the water quality in the coastal aquifer - one of Israel's three main freshwater sources - is in steady decline to the point of threatening the integrity of water resources. More than 10 percent of the water holes drilled into the aquifer have been closed in the past five years due to contamination stemming from industrial waste, agricultural fertilizer and urban sewage. In the Tel Aviv area alone, more than half the water holes have been closed over the past 25 years, and those that continue to operate are permeated by toxic heavy metals and carcinogenic substances.

It is certainly no consolation for consumers that for the time being, the concentration of these materials is lower than the maximum quantities allowed in drinking water. In at least one Sharon-area community, residents are forced to use mineral water for drinking and cooking, because their groundwater source was polluted and an alternative connection has yet to be made available.

The coastal aquifer provides hundreds of millions of cubic meters of water per year. In years with exceptionally high rainfall, the aquifer can store large quantities of water - about two billion cubic meters. By comparison, the country's two other major freshwater sources - the mountain aquifer and Lake Kinneret - are capable of storing several hundred million cubic meters, thereby underscoring the strategic importance of the coastal aquifer when it comes to freshwater availability.

The quality of water in the coastal aquifer reflects continuous core problems in dealing with natural resources here. One of these is the inability to invest in environmental infrastructure, such as sewage treatment centers or installations for upgrading wells, in order to enable the use of polluted water that undergoes purification. Another problem lies in planning that does not take into consideration the environmental impact. In many locations it would have been possible to build towns and roads in ways that could drain the pollution in an orderly way, thereby retaining open spaces in which rain water would seep underground and enhance the aquifer.

As in many other countries, the prevalent approach in recent years here is that it is possible to deal with pollution problems through technological alternatives. One preferred option regarding contamination of the groundwater is creating additional installations for desalinating seawater. However, desalination plants are expensive and occupy land along the coast. Therefore, the proper way to deal with contamination of the coastal aquifer is to address the fundamental causes of pollution, and recognize that the issue requires long-term planning and monetary investment.

The planning authorities and ministries must establish clear regulations for expanding towns and commercial/industrial zones in ways that the sewage produced will not contaminate the environment, as well as intensify enforcement against many ongoing sources of pollution.

In addition, a multiyear recovery plan must be initiated, one that would include all the methods deemed appropriate for removing the contaminants in some of the affected areas so as to limit the amount of pollution reaching the groundwater. These actions may lead to a gradual improvement in the situation, and may save this essential reservoir of groundwater in the long term.